Enugu govt threatens to close faculties, markets observing IPOB’s sit-at-home

The Enugu State Authorities has threatened to close faculties and markets that observe the controversial one-week sit-at-order declared by a faction of the outlawed Indigenous Folks of Biafra (IPOB).

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that Simon Ekpa, the chief of Autopilot, a faction of the IPOB, had, in a statement on 14 June, introduced that there could be a one-week sit-at-home within the area.

Mr Ekpa, a self-acclaimed prime minister of “Biafra Republic Authorities in Exile”, stated the sit-at-home would maintain from 3 to five July and proceed from Friday 7 to 10 July.

The agitator stated the proposed civil motion was to demand the “rapid and unconditional launch” of the IPOB chief, Nnamdi Kanu, who has been detained on the facility of Nigeria’s secret police, State Safety Service.

He stated the motion was additionally in preparation for the conduct of “Biafra’s self-referendum.”

However Emma Highly effective, the spokesperson of the IPOB faction led by Mr Kanu, would later disown the declaration, saying the sit-at-home order didn’t emanate from the group.

Enugu govt speaks

In an announcement on Tuesday by the Secretary to the State Authorities, Chidiebere Onyia, the state authorities warned proprietors of personal faculties to not adjust to the civil order or threat shedding their licence.

Mr Onyia, a professor, defined that the warning was in response to social media studies on Tuesday morning that proprietors of some non-public faculties within the state have been sending messages to folks that they’d not open their faculties for one week because of the controversial sit-at-home order.

“The Enugu State Authorities is alarmed and dismayed by this growth and hereby warns that any faculty that fails to open and performance usually from at the moment could have its license revoked instantly.

“The Enugu State Authorities additionally extends the identical warning to market unions and store homeowners within the state. All markets and retailers within the numerous markets have to be open to clients from at the moment or be shut down indefinitely,” the assertion learn partly.

The federal government reiterated its ban on sit-at-home orders by non-state actors within the state, saying residents ought to go about their regular duties as safety measures have been put in place to safe lives and property.

“Authorities will not sit by and watch faceless teams and misguided people difficulty unlawful orders, dictating to us the way to lead our lives, when to go to work or market and when our kids go to highschool, whereas they ply their commerce and their kids go to highschool.

READ ALSO: Sit-at-home: ‘Report back to work or face sanctions,’ Enugu govt warns public servants

“That is not acceptable and have to be confronted and defeated with each energy and assets at our disposal,” the assertion added.

Extra warning

The federal government additionally warned these encouraging observance of the civil motion by peddling pretend data to scare residents to desist from such acts or face prosecution.

It stated the federal government would “deploy the instrumentality of the regulation, such because the Cybercrime Act 2015,” to prosecute these behind the posting and sharing the pretend details about the sit-at-home to frighten residents into obeying the unlawful order.